Electronic smoking articles

Abstract

An electronic smoking article, a method of manufacturing an electronic smoking article, and a method of achieving a smoking experience without combusting tobacco are disclosed. The electronic smoking article includes an authenticated first section, which includes an aerosol generation unit having at least one heater; an authenticated second section, which includes a power supply operable to apply voltage to the at least one heater for heating a liquid in at least a portion of the aerosol generation unit to form an aerosol; and a conductive ink circuit embedded within the first and second sections, and wherein the power supply and the aerosol generation unit are electrically connected upon joining the first and second sections, and wherein each of the first and second sections has a portion of the conductive ink circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic vaping device, the electronic vaping device comprising:
 a first section including,
 a first outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, 
 a wick in fluid communication with a supply reservoir, and 
 a heater surrounding a portion of the wick; and 
 
 a second section including,
 a second outer housing extending in the longitudinal direction, 
 a power supply configured to apply voltage to the heater; and 
 
 a conductive ink circuit embedded within at least a portion of each of the first outer housing and the second outer housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to control the supply of power to the heater, the conductive ink circuit configured to enable the control circuitry. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive ink circuit is configured to form an electrical connection between the power supply and the heater. 
     
     
       4. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the wick includes:
 a capillary tube, the capillary tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in communication with an outlet of the supply reservoir. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mixing chamber downstream of the heater; and 
 at least one air inlet configured to deliver air drawn into the mixing chamber. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic vaping device of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a mouth-end having at least one outlet, the mouth-end in fluid communication with the mixing chamber. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the first section includes two portions:
 an aerosol generation portion containing the heater and the wick; and 
 a supply portion including,
 the supply reservoir configured to contain a material, the wick in fluid communication with the supply reservoir when the aerosol generation portion is joined to the supply portion. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The electronic vaping device of  claim 7 , wherein the aerosol generation portion, the supply portion, and the second section each includes a portion of the conductive ink circuit. 
     
     
       9. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the power supply includes a battery. 
     
     
       10. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is activated only when sections of the conductive ink circuit are connected together by connecting the first section and the second section. 
     
     
       11. A method of manufacturing an electronic vaping device, the method comprising:
 embedding a first portion of a conductive ink circuit in a first outer housing of a first section of an electronic vaping device, the first section including a heater; and 
 embedding a second portion of a conductive ink circuit in a second outer housing of a second section, the second section including a power supply configured to apply voltage to the heater. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 enabling control circuitry to control the supply of power from the power supply to the heater when the first section and the second section are joined together to form the conductive ink circuit. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the conductive ink circuit are disconnected by disconnecting the first and second sections, and portions of the conductive ink circuit are connected by connecting the first and second sections. 
     
     
       14. The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the wick includes:
 a capillary wick.